


Of Birds and Blights

by Shepard_Shakedown



Series: A thousand first chapters [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2020-01-06 14:45:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18390527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shepard_Shakedown/pseuds/Shepard_Shakedown
Summary: A tale of two elves trying to stop the blight.Tamlen watched the elven girl from behind. The human Duncan had told him she was the reason he'd been conscripted; That it was her intuition and insistence that had accepted nothing less than to give him a chance. She knew nothing about him of course. She could have doomed him too die a horrible death on the sword of a darkspawn. He could have been useless with a blade.There was a hint of respect there he supposed. That some city brat had seen him blighted and simply acted. It wasn't wrong of her to assume he could fight. It wasn't ideal to join the wardens; Too many humans in their ranks. The blight had gotten Mahariel killed or worse. Yet it was his only option. Die or join.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> updates will be very very slow im so sorry.

Kallian held the man as he twitched. The blight was beyond her rudimentary healing but she could do her best. If she stalled it long enough he could live long enough to take duncans joining. He had a chance. That was more than anyone had in the alienage. 

 

She hummed a mellody her mother had taught her long ago carding her hands through damp hair. A lilting song of a girl run away to be with her love. He settled a bit. The warden healers had helped a bit. but beyond the blight there had been other wounds. Cuts and glass. Shed done her part there stitched him up. It was the reason she knew he could physically be a warden. He was strong old wounds next to the new. Years of muscle probably from hunting.  He seemed like a fighter considering how well he was fighting the blight. 

 

He woke a day later. Proving her assessment right. He was stubborn. A good trait for a warden. A bad trait for getting along with people. He didn't want to get along with her and he didn't have to. She gave him space. It wasn't worth fighting with a man that didn't care for her existence. It wasn't like he was a threat to Shiani or herself. Her mother had taught her years ago to pick her battles. This one wasn't one she cared for. 

 

Tamlen watched the elven girl from behind. The human Duncan had told him she was the reason he'd been conscripted; That it was her intuition and insistence that had accepted nothing less than to give him a chance. She knew nothing about him of course. She could have doomed him too die a horrible death on the sword of a darkspawn. He could have been useless with a blade.

 

There was a hint of respect there he supposed. That some city brat had seen him blighted and simply acted. It wasn't wrong of her to assume he could fight. It wasn't ideal to join the wardens; Too many humans in their ranks. The blight had gotten Mahariel killed or worse. Yet it was his only option. Die or join. 

 

What he didn't understand was how a girl like Kalliana was conscripted. She was meek, small, and constantly stumbling over everything. She’d get herself killed and he wasn't about to be responsible for that. 

 

She sat alone when they stopped. Fussed over armor sized for a human. Traded a few words with wardens but kept to herself. She was a mystery that Tamlen was growing more frustrated with. 

 

She looked uncomfortable when humans talked to her. She was nothing less than civil but definitely uncomfortable. She kept out of reach of the touchy feely ones especially. She only really reached out to him and even that was only to check on him. Medicine and and temperatures. It was annoying. He snapped at her constantly. Brushed off her attempts but she’d kept quiet. Insisting on completing her work and leaving. 

 

“How the fuck did you even get recruited?” Tamlen grumbled. He’d given up glaring at the girl. He was tired and hurt. The blight was draining. Not enough to stop him from being an ass but enough that if he were any less stubborn hed have given up. 

 

She barely blinked her small hands combing his hair out of his face so she could check his temperature again. The journal beside him was filled with notes. “Do you even care?” Her voice was soft as usual. She never fought him.

 

“I asked didn't I.” he grumbled taking the potion she offered. 

 

She sighed waiting for him to drink. “I left a trail of bodies through the arls estate.” She tilted his head. “Then I beheaded his son.” 

 

Tamlen frowned. “What.” Kalliana’s face showed no sign of deception but it was hard to believe a timid girl was capable of that. He didn't.

 

She shrugged. “I’ve been told I have a temper.” She pried the empty bottle from his hands. “Wake me if the pain gets worse.” She turned away before stopping. She looked back her eyes narrowed. “Can you let go.”

 

He glared back. “You can't honestly expect me to believe you.” 

 

She pried his hand off her wrist. “A fact is a fact regardless of whether or not you believe it Tamlen.” Her gaze was icy. “What do you want me to say? They pissed me off. I killed them. End of story.” She pried his fingers off her wrist.

 

He doubted that. Even if she was capable of it there’d be more to it. She didn’t seem the type to start a killing spree for nothing. She was gone before he could ask her; Talking to Duncan.

 

Of the wardens Duncan was the one he disliked least. There was a certain respect owed to the man that agreed to make him a warden. Tamlen wasn't about to go and ruin that. 

 

“You don’t seem to care for miss Tabris.” He observed. “I can't say I understand why.”

 

Tamlen shrugged. Tabris, Kallian Tabris. He frowned. She was alone again as usual. “Dunno.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. She rubbed him the wrong way. “How you find her anyway?”

 

“That would be her story to tell.” Duncan frowned. “Though she is not likely to tell it. I will however say she is an honourable woman. Her actions saved quite a few lives.”

 

He stared at the girl. She’d already claimed to be a ruthless murderer. That didn’t level with anything Duncan had told him. 

 

There wasn't another opportunity to corner her again; Not until they reached ostagar and duncan inevitably left. Even then she didn't make it easy. She’d stalked past the human king with clipped barb about paying more attention to his people and less towards child's tales. It had meant the king had turned to him. 

 

“Is she always like that?” The human had asked.

 

“I apologize for miss Tabris my lord. Denerim's alienage was in disarray when we left.” Duncan explained. 

 

Cailen nodded. “Ah. I suppose that's to be expected.”

 

“So, it _ is _ still commonplace for humans to pillage elven homes.” Tamlen drawled. “Good to know things haven't changed.” He wasn't stupid. He could read between the lines and he was spiteful enough to kick the hornet's nest. At the very least it put what she’d told him into context. 

 

Cailen winced but waved a hand to stop Duncan from interfering. “When I return I’ll see…”

 

“Talk is worthless.” He held the kings gaze. “Historically.” He shrugged. “So excuse me if I don't trust that anything will change.”

 

“Fair enough.” The king conceded. Tamlen rolled his eyes as the human king dismissed them. 

 

Duncan said few words about their comments. Less when Tamelen told him to find a city where it wasn't common place for humans to pillage alienages. He’d told Duncan to focus less on their manners and more on the blight. Duncan had surrendered, instead asking him to find another warden about the joining. 

 

He found Kalian first exactly where he expected to find her; Flitting between injured soldiers humming. She hadn't noticed him. Or she didn't care.

 

There was a human slumped against a pillar near him. A healer Kaliana had likely relieved. She watched him lurk with drooping eyes. 

 

“Are there many?” He asked before catching himself. Did he care? Was this some morbid curiosity of what Mahariel was going through, what he was going through?

 

The human took breath. “More each day. They all die. The most we can do is ease their suffering.” Tamlen frowned. “What did you expect?” She continued. “The blight is a death sentence.”

 

“And becoming a warden wouldn't be much better.” He drawled sarcastically. He raked his eyes over wounded soldiers.

 

She snorted. “Now or later. A death sentence is a death sentence.”

 

He rolled his eyes. His gaze finding Kallian once more. “A chance to live is still a chance.” He caught Kalians gaze jerking his head back in a half hearted summon. “She knows that. If she didnt I imagine I'd be dead from the blight too.”

 

Kallian Tabris scowled waving another to take over her work. Her hands were drenched in gore but that was to be expected. She’d just finished sewing a man's belly shut. Her left hand clasped some sort of object. 

 

The human eyed her nervously. Tamlen snorted. Humans always got fussy when elves had anything. He watched the woman scuttle off the moment Kalian stopped. 

 

Kalian barely blinked. “Pleasant company?” 

 

Tamlen huffed rolling his eyes. “Her or the king? Because they were both bad.”

 

She scowled turning the object over in her hand. “I imagine duncan is unhappy.” She shifted her weight. Restless he noted.

 

“He’ll get over it.” He pushed off the column taking her hand. 

 

She shuffled. “Like the humans that drove off your clan did?” 

 

He ignored the her pulling her fingers open. “Duncan has better things to deal with than a petty squabble.” He took the object in her hands; A fragment of a blade she’d removed from a soldier. “Namely the blight. He wants us to meet with another warden.”

 

She frowned. “Human?”

 

He shrugged dropping her hand and wiping his own on the grass. She did the same following when he started walking. 

 

Alistair to his credit was alright. His personality was too close to Mahariel’s for Tamlen to feel comfortable but he was alright. Kalian had taken the lead in talking to him. Tamlen close behind with a hand on his blade. 

 

He flinched when Alistair asked if they’d ever seen darkspawn. His grip on the hilt of his sword tightening. Her hand reached back brushing his arm as she nodded. 

 

Alistair nodded. “Then you know just how monsterous they are. When I saw them the first time I was unprepared for it.”

 

“They took my sister.” He found himself mumbling. “I’d say we were unprepared too.”

 

Alistair's eyes widened. “Oh. I’m sorry.” He shuffled. “I wouldn't advise asking what they do to prisoners. The older wardens know and trust me when I say you won't want to know.” The warden offered a sympathetic smile. 

 

He frowned. “Noted.”


	2. Chapter 2

They’d already met the other recruits. Tamlen hadn't learned either of their names. Kalian hadn't been much better offering him a “Well they're certainly humans.” When he asked. He'd laughed harder when she explained the two had looked exceptionally boring. Alistar had bit back his own laughter as he lead them back to Duncan. The recruits were just as generic as they remembered and Kalian said as much; A quiet comment under her breath that sent Alistair into a poorly disguised fit of laughter. 

 

Duncan had sent them to the wilds of course. Not for her comments or Alistair's laughter but for the joining he’d mentioned to Tamlen after their argument. 

 

The wilds themselves weren't all too different from the brecilian. It felt sicker as a result of the blight. But it was familiar. It wasn't long before they were attacked by fleeing animals, and not long after that that they encountered the wreckage left by the darkspawn. There'd been a survivor of course. Darkspawn didn't seem all that thorough in their attacks. He'd lived, it wasn't all that surprising a quivering human could.

 

Kallian had been the first to act. She’d unceremoniously shoved a strap in the wounded soldiers mouth to stop his protesting as she examined his wounds. She wasn’t one to be stopped when there was someone that needed healing. He’d been on the receiving end of her stubbornness more than once. 

 

“We really don’t have…” Alistair stopped, noting Tamlen’s hand on his chest. 

 

“She knows that. Just let her work.” He held the wardens gaze. Alistair shook his head addressing the panicking recruits behind them. Kalian was done fast, mostly because she’d done little more than a patch job. Though her version of a patch job was more or less treating the wound properly. She wasn't the type to half ass anything.

 

She bumped his shoulder as she stood wiping blood off on her armor. It was her version of a thanks he guessed. “Are we going?” She turned back to the others. “Or we going to piss our pants in fear at the mention of darkspawn? We’re here to be wardens. Darkspawn is part of the package. You knew that when you signed on. So get over it.” She snapped.

 

Tamlen hummed in agreement. “Human’s, honestly.”

 

“You’d think they’d never faced death before.” She grumbled stalking forward. 

 

Tamlen followed, a hand on the hilt of his sword. “I think they're more used to bringing it than facing it.” 

 

She looked between him and the humans. “There are things worse than death that humans bring.” she frowned her voice even and quiet. “Comparatively, darkspawn are nothing.”

 

Tamlen watched her ignore the protests of the humans thinking. It made sense. She’d left her alienage in disarray and trail of bodies through castle. She’d beheaded a man who’d taken something from her. She’d know the thing’s humans were capable of. He knew as well. They’d taken his people too. They’d taken their homes and their people and ruined them. 

 

Her clumsy steps were exposed as an act at the first wave of darkspawn. Much like her quiet demeanor had turned in the face of Cailan. She was frighteningly competent with a blade and he imagined she'd be better with armor that didn't get in her way. 

 

Apart from Alistair the humans we're unprepared. They bitched and moaned and cried about the darkspawn. Alistair had taken to walking in the front with Kallian and himself. He'd said something about the other two recruits being annoying. Though he'd proven himself just as annoying when the witch showed up. 

 

Tamlen didn't really care either way about the mage. But Kallian...

 

She disliked the witch, that much was obvious immediately. The womans words targeted her claiming kinship that wasn't there and she didn’t like it. It wasn’t surprising that when she finally directed her questions to kalian her answer was…

 

“No.” She kept her gaze leveled on the woman daring her to challenge her decision. Tamlen found himself grinning as the woman sputtered. “Look I have no interest in your games.” Kallian drawled. “And I don't really  _ care _ about the scrolls if I'm being honest. You're the invested party here. So the way i see it. You can lead us to our missing scrolls or we’re just going to go.”

 

Tamlen kicked Alistair in the shin before he could speak. The woman on the stairs frowned huffing before turning away. “Your scrolls are with my mother. Follow or don’t its choice.”

 

Alistair grumbled. “There are five of us. Two of them and you're an ex Templar.” Kallian cut him off.

 

One of the humans snorted a nervous laugh. “It's that simple?"

 

Tamlen rolled his shoulders. "Why did we surround ourselves with idiots again?"

 

"You talk like you aren't one of them Tamlen.” She countered drawing a laugh from the witch. “We take the path given to us when it leads to the best outcome.”

 

He frowned. Her words weren't about the witch. The black of the blight was visible beneath his skin. Blackening veins growing darker with each day. Kallian had slowed the blight but only the wardens could stop it. He never should have brought mahariel to that ruin. 

 

The older witch was strange and familiar, though tamlen couldn't put his finger on why until she introduced herself. Flemeth the witch that his people had stories of. She was as weird and cryptic as anything and a direct conflict to Kallian's motto of no bullshit. It was why he had ended up taking point. Weird was something Mahariel was always bringing to the table. He was used to it. To an extent. 

 

Tabris hadn't bothered to meet Duncan when they made it back. If he had to guess she was checking on the soldier from the wilds or some other injured party.

 

“So your friend…” Alistair started

 

“She's not a friend." 

 

"Riiight. I'm just saying we should get her for the joining. We won't have much time before the fighting starts.” Alistair fidgeted.

 

Tamlen raked his eyes over the camp pausing when he picked her out of the crowd. He'd been right to assume she'd head to an injured party. She was predictable like that. It was a dog this time. He nodded towards her for Alistair's sake. 

 

They were the only two to make it through the joining, Kallian faring worse than he did. Maybe it was because he was already blighted but she took longer to recover. Long enough that Duncan commented on his own protectiveness of her. 

 

“She gave me a chance.” He'd snapped back. "This is just settling the score." It wasn't. But he could keep telling himself that for a little longer. 

 

The blight made her restless. Her steps were less sure than they had been. Her eyes drifting with the paranoia that came with it. She'd calmed a bit after he'd told her it would pass. Though it was less passing and more getting used to it. She understood the intention. 

 

There were no breaks for wardens. There was no stopping for a breath even if their initial assignment seemed like it. Their back line had been breached early turning an errand into a fight to reach the signal fire. 

 

They'd made it but their fight hadn't meant anything. Loghain fled. The wardens and everyone else was overwhelmed. There'd been a rush of darkspawn swarming the tower and then… nothing.


End file.
